Mining Incidents

Gunnison: 48 MSHA citations Metal/Non-Metal

GUNNISON, Gunnison County, CO  ·  Abandoned
MSHA Mine ID: 0504691

Gunnison has $16K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 3 contested dockets, plus health sampling and the full incident record.

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Fatalities
0
Total incidents
5
Years on record
2005–2007
Latest incident
Jul 2007
Compliance record
MSHA citations since 2000
48
citations
10
significant & substantial
$16,254
proposed penalties
$12,666
paid to date
78% of proposed penalties paid to date, a $3,588 gap.
Source: MSHA violations data, updated weekly.
Inspection activity
MSHA inspections since 2000
15
inspections on record
227
inspection hours
n/a
citations per 100 inspection hours
This rate is recorded citations divided by MSHA inspection hours, per 100 hours. It reflects inspection effort, not mine size or production.
Rate withheld: 227 inspection hours is too few for a stable rate. A minimum of 1,000 inspection hours is required.
Source: MSHA inspections data, updated weekly.

Gunnison has $16K in proposed MSHA penalties and $0 outstanding across 3 contested dockets.

Penalty disposition
Differences between proposed and paid penalties reflect both settlements and conference reductions and amounts still owed. Outstanding is the balance currently owed.
$16K
proposed penalties
$13K
current assessed
$13K
paid to date
$0
outstanding
48 assessments are final orders; 3 contested dockets.
Of $11K in penalties contested before the Commission, $8K was upheld in final decisions.
As of the most recent assessment on 2008-05-15.
Source: MSHA assessed-violations and conference/litigation data, updated weekly.
Violation severity profile
Shares are computed over citations that carry the MSHA gravity and negligence coding; a small share of records are uncoded.
20.8%
significant & substantial
2.1%
high negligence or reckless
20.8%
reasonably likely or greater
54.2%
permanently disabling or fatal if injury occurs
Negligence coding: 0.0% none, 8.3% low, 89.6% moderate, 2.1% high, 0.0% reckless.
Source: MSHA violations gravity and negligence coding, updated weekly.
When citations were contested
Contesting a citation before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission is a lawful right. These figures state the public outcomes of that process, from MSHA's Contested Violations file.
2 citations taken to the federal commission · 4% of citations on record
  • Settled 2 · 100%
100%
S&S designation survived the contest
Counts a Significant & Substantial citation as surviving when a settlement or judge's decision kept the designation, or the contest was dismissed or defaulted so the citation stands as issued. Vacated and withdrawn citations, and settlements that removed the designation, count against.
of 2 decided S&S contests · industry: 79%
33%
Penalty reduction in decided contests
$10K proposed, $7K after decisions · industry: 39%
Source: MSHA Contested Violations file (public record), updated weekly. A dismissed or defaulted contest leaves the citation standing as issued; a vacated or withdrawn citation is removed from the violation record. Latest contest filed 2008-01-09.
Contested penalties
A reduction or dismissal at the Commission is a lawful outcome of contesting a proposed penalty. Figures are the proposed amount and the amount upheld in the docket's decision.
Largest penalties this mine contested before the Federal Mine Safety and Health Review Commission, with the outcome on record.
Docket Decision Judge Year Proposed / upheld
WEST 2008-354M Settlement Manning 2009 $10K → $7K
WEST 2004-398M Settlement Manning 2004 $700 → $560
WEST20010563M Settlement Manning 2002 $500 → $400
Source: FMSHRC civil penalty dockets and decisions (public record), updated weekly.
Ownership history
  1. American Concrete & Gravel Llc 2000 to 2003
  2. Varra Companies, Inc 2003 to present
Source: MSHA controller and operator history, updated weekly.
Workforce and production
Year Employees
2009 0
2008 3
2007 11
2006 8
2005 10
2004 8
2003 1
2002 1
2001 0
2000 2
Source: MSHA quarterly employment and production, updated weekly.

Gunnison sits in Gunnison County, Colorado, where the Census mining category is 0.3% of county employment.

Local economic context
County figures come from the US Census Bureau's American Community Survey, 5-year pooled estimates, so the 2023 vintage covers 2019 through 2023. The Census category is 'mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction', which is broader than MSHA jurisdiction and includes oil and gas workers no mine employs. These figures describe the surrounding county, not this mine, and are not a factor in any specific incident.
Gunnison County, Colorado · Population 17,158
0.3%
Mining share of county employment
$77,358
Median household income
Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates.
Quarterly safety rates
Citations per million reported employee-hours. Rates begin in 2000, when MSHA's quarterly employment data starts; earlier incidents are counted but cannot be rate-adjusted. Quarters under 100,000 reported hours are greyed: too few hours for a stable rate.
Citations per million employee-hours, as reported to MSHA
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2009 Q1 0 0 0
2008 Q4 0 0 0
2008 Q3 66 0 0 0.0
2008 Q2 1,234 3 0 2431.1
2008 Q1 0 0 0
2007 Q4 749 6 2 8010.7
2007 Q3 4,471 0 0 0.0
2007 Q2 5,487 12 5 2187.0
Show 26 earlier quarters
Quarter Hours worked Citations S&S Per 1M hrs
2007 Q1 606 0 0 0.0
2006 Q4 3,185 0 0 0.0
2006 Q3 4,754 4 1 841.4
2006 Q2 4,152 1 0 240.8
2006 Q1 0 1 0
2005 Q4 1,038 0 0 0.0
2005 Q3 4,549 0 0 0.0
2005 Q2 4,157 0 0 0.0
2005 Q1 0 0 0
2004 Q4 4,752 1 0 210.4
2004 Q3 5,217 0 0 0.0
2004 Q2 3,777 0 0 0.0
2004 Q1 60 0 0 0.0
2003 Q4 429 5 1 11655.0
2003 Q3 0 6 0
2003 Q2 504 0 0 0.0
2003 Q1 0 0 0
2002 Q4 0 0 0
2002 Q3 160 0 0 0.0
2002 Q2 480 1 0 2083.3
2002 Q1 0 0 0
2001 Q4 0 0 0
2001 Q3 0 0 0
2001 Q2 0 0 0
2001 Q1 0 0 0
2000 Q4 80 0 0 0.0
No fatalities recorded at this mine.

Reportable incidents

5 on file

2007 · 2 incidents

July 30, 2007 CO · Metal/Non-Metal bulldozer operator, universal operator, heavy equipment operator, operating engineer HANDLING OF MATERIALS
Varra Companies, Inc · Over-exertion (Not Elsewhere Classified)

Shoveling material beneath conveyor, hurt lower abdomen. Diagnosed as hernia.

June 15, 2007 CO · Metal/Non-Metal outside foreman, leadman STRIKING OR BUMPING
Varra Companies, Inc · Struck against stationary object

Working on rollers. Hard hat fell off. When he stood up, hit head on conveyor. Stitches

2005 · 3 incidents

September 22, 2005 CO · Metal/Non-Metal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver POWERED HAULAGE
Varra Companies, Inc · Struck against a moving object

Jammed "pinky" finger of left hand while backing the haul truck. 1st aid.

July 19, 2005 CO · Metal/Non-Metal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver POWERED HAULAGE
Varra Companies, Inc · Struck against a moving object

EXCAVATOR BUCKET DROPPED INTO HAUL TRUCK BED, SOIL UNDER TRACKS GAVE WAY ALLOWING BUCKET TO DROP INTO TRUCK

May 2, 2005 CO · Metal/Non-Metal haul/off road/coal/ore/pit/quarry/rock/rubber tire truck driver, transportation truck driver SLIP OR FALL OF PERSON
Varra Companies, Inc · Fall from machine

Foot slipped on step when exiting haul truck hurt right foot instep walking boot.